What a beautiful sunrise this morning. It's a great day to travel, isn't it? Every day is a great day to travel. We arrived at the departure point at 7:15 this morning to find our motor coach and a few of our travelers already there. There is a bit of anticipation and excitement on the first day of any trip and today is no exception. The checked bags all fit nicely in the compartment under the coach and soon we were on our way. The first order of business was to bless the bus followed by the introduction of everyone on the tour. Normally we will play a little word game associated with each person's name as a way to get to know everyone. Today, however it was "what kind of sandwich are you"?. Tomorrow after we visit the Tennessee Fresh Water Pearl Museum our lunch will be a choice of sandwich. So, having gathered the sandwich choices we notified the lunch caterer and we were all set to go. Eastward to Tennessee.
The nice thing about travel days (of which this is one) is it gives all of us an opportunity to get acquainted, swap stories or just catch up with old friends. I know I've said this before and it's not really a shameless plug but I think traveling by motor coach is the best way to see this great country. Where else can you drive all day, take in the sights, have a great meal (or two) and spend the night relaxing in a comfortable hotel, all in the company of friends old and new?
Construction on I-40 could have caused us to be late for our next attraction, but it didn't. Traffic moved smoothly even as we traveled one lane east and one lane west. Smoothly so that we were a few minutes early arriving in Memphis.
Lucille!
If you've ever heard a guitar being played or played one yourself, a stop and tour of the Gibson Guitar Factory in Memphis is a must. The tour lasts about 40 minutes and is informative as well as exceptionally interesting in how a block of wood is transformed into a fine musical instrument enjoyed by the likes of B.B. King and of course, the great Les Paul. Factory tours are incredibly interesting and we try and locate one whenever we put a tour together. No photography allowed during the tour so we only have shots of the displays in the lobby. It's OK, though. The tour was fascinating. The craftsmanship that goes into the making of a Gibson guitar, it's no wonder they are the preferred axe of great guitar players worldwide. We will most definitely make Gibson a return visit when Memphis is on the itinerary.
Put on the feedbag! We ave arrived in Jackson, Tennessee and at Brook Shaw's Old Country Store for a southern cooking buffet fit for any palette. Fully stuffed (fried chicken and cobbler and...) we ambled out to the coach and made the 1 mile drive to the Doubletree Hotel to rest our heads.
Follow us again for the rest of the trip right here. Good night!
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